Sewage workers complain about flat wages. Screw them.

[Hacp]

The workers descend knee deep into the muck and scrape at the dripping clogs. The gunk drips to their shoulders and splashes on their faces, working its way into pores and psyches. But many of the nearly 1,200 workers who process some 1.4 billion gallons of New York City sewage every day say they can handle those indignities. What disgusts them, what has tested sobriety, credit ratings and marriages more than any stubborn stench, is the fact that their salaries have not budged, in some cases for as long as 15 years.
“It’s disrespectful,” said Michael Enright,

Last year, the union representing about 800 sewage-treatment workers, Local 1320 of District Council 37, thought that it had finally won and would soon see a raise of about 50 percent, to match the pay of some Con Edison workers.

Sewage-treatment workers earn an average of about $42,000 a year a figure unchanged since 2001. Los Angeles pays a starting salary of $71,000 for similar work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/nyregion/18sewage.html?pagewanted=2&hp

This is just hilarious. These guys are complaining about making 40k a year! Disrespectful! Now they want a 50% raise. Of course, they are union members and probably have a juicy pension.

Bottom line: If you're making 40k a year, don't complain. There are people without jobs that want your jobs and will do it for less.

 

[dank69]

I don't think they want that job.

 

[Hacp]

I don't think they want that job.

They probably do. You go to 7-11, wave a few pesos in the air and 10 people will be fighting to get in your van.

 

[dank69]

Let's see how well the city sewer you take for granted is working after a few months of that. Oh wait, this is the internet so I am sure you will tell me you have a septic tank and city sewer is some socialist scam.

 

[Slick5150]

Umm yeah. You goto NYC and tell me what kind of housing you can afford on a $40k/year salary.

 

[Slick5150]

Let's see how well the city sewer you take for granted is working after a few months of that. Oh wait, this is the internet so I am sure you will tell me you have a septic tank and city sewer is some socialist scam.

That made me laugh.

 

[MJinZ]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/nyregion/18sewage.html?pagewanted=2&hp

This is just hilarious. These guys are complaining about making 40k a year! Disrespectful! Now they want a 50% raise. Of course, they are union members and probably have a juicy pension.

Bottom line: If you're making 40k a year, don't complain. There are people without jobs that want your jobs and will do it for less.

"
Mr. Enright, meanwhile, is moonlighting as a caretaker at the home of a wealthy suburbanite. Another treatment worker is moonlighting as a school custodian. Mr. Mongiello said that inflation, combined with flat wages, had made him fall behind on mortgage payments.
"

I don't understand this fucking attitude of "I have the RIGHT to own a House even though all I want to do in life is work in a fucking sewer".

 

[MJinZ]

Umm yeah. You goto NYC and tell me what kind of housing you can afford on a $40k/year salary.

Roommates, like I had straight out of college. Can't afford a place for your kids? Don't fucking have them.

 

[Slick5150]

"
Mr. Enright, meanwhile, is moonlighting as a caretaker at the home of a wealthy suburbanite. Another treatment worker is moonlighting as a school custodian. Mr. Mongiello said that inflation, combined with flat wages, had made him fall behind on mortgage payments.
"

I don't understand this fucking attitude of "I have the RIGHT to own a House even though all I want to do in life is work in a fucking sewer".

Ok, what about your attitude that people who work in sewer's are somehow unworthy of housing? Frankly, I'd see that as a fairly important job, because without them, your life wouldn't smell so much like roses.

They work in NYC. You can't afford ANYthing in NYC at $40k/year.

 

[Hacp]

Umm yeah. You goto NYC and tell me what kind of housing you can afford on a $40k/year salary.

Room with your fellow sewage worker. You got people in japan managing to live in a 4x12 cubicle.

 

[Slick5150]

Roommates, like I had straight out of college. Can't afford a place for your kids? Don't fucking have them.

So the 40 year old sewer worker and his wife should have to have roommates, despite doing nothing wrong other than showing up to work every day?

 

[Hacp]

Ok, what about your attitude that people who work in sewer's are somehow unworthy of housing? Frankly, I'd see that as a fairly important job, because without them, your life wouldn't smell so much like roses.

They work in NYC. You can't afford ANYthing in NYC at $40k/year.

Its an important job. But without the unions, they wouldn't even be getting 40k. They'd probably be fired and someone willing to work for 25k a year will take his place. Again, why is this one worker more deserving than a jobless chad willing to work for less?

 

[Hacp]

So the 40 year old sewer worker and his wife should have to have roommates, despite doing nothing wrong other than showing up to work every day?

Yes, its called living within your means. In other countries, they have one house and 3-4 different families, all relatives, reside in that house.

 

[syrillus]

I love the typical ATOT attitude displayed in this thread.

 

[Slick5150]

Its an important job. But without the unions, they wouldn't even be getting 40k. They'd probably be fired and someone willing to work for 25k a year will take his place. Again, why is this one worker more deserving than a jobless chad willing to work for less?

Ok, isn't that true of ANYBODY's job then? There's always SOMEbody that could do it for less?

Like YOUR job for example? Oh wait you don't have one, but if you did, you should be forced to take a 75% paycut and be HAPPY about it you ungrateful peon!

 

[Hacp]

Ok, isn't that true of ANYBODY's job then? There's always SOMEbody that could do it for less?

Like YOUR job for example? Oh wait you don't have one, but if you did, you should be forced to take a 75% paycut and be HAPPY about it you ungrateful peon!

Thats supply and demand.

 

[CycloWizard]

Ok, isn't that true of ANYBODY's job then? There's always SOMEbody that could do it for less?

Like YOUR job for example? Oh wait you don't have one, but if you did, you should be forced to take a 75% paycut and be HAPPY about it you ungrateful peon!

No one else in the world can do my job. That's how I achieved job security and a decent income.

edit: And I have worked at a wastewater treatment plant. It's pretty messy work, and a lot of the maintenance guys have to walk on bacteria-covered rocks to pick up used needles and tampons, do underwater welding (where the "water" is untreated sewage), and other fun things. In larger cities, sewer maintenance is distinct from wastewater treatment, so the guys in this article likely go down into the sewer itself to ensure that the pipes don't collapse. A city like NY has thousands of miles of sewers that must be maintained.

 

[heyheybooboo]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/nyregion/18sewage.html?pagewanted=2&hp

This is just hilarious. These guys are complaining about making 40k a year! Disrespectful! Now they want a 50% raise. Of course, they are union members and probably have a juicy pension.

Bottom line: If you're making 40k a year, don't complain. There are people without jobs that want your jobs and will do it for less.

Doubt it.

You have no idea how wastewater collection and treatment systems operate, do you?




--

 

[Slick5150]

Thats supply and demand.

Um, no, that's insanity.

You once again show you have no idea what you're talking about. And we're done here.

 

[MJinZ]

So the 40 year old sewer worker and his wife should have to have roommates, despite doing nothing wrong other than showing up to work every day?

$80K a fucking year gets you a nice Studio or Single anywhere outside of Manhattan, even nice neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Cry me a fucking river, but no you do not get to have your Mercedes on sewer wage salaries.

 

[Hacp]

Doubt it.

You have no idea how wastewater collection and treatment systems operate, do you?

--

There probably is with all the college educated people of all demographics without jobs. If these guys are so dissatisfied with their jobs, they can always quit and try to find a new job.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Doubt it.

You have no idea how wastewater collection and treatment systems operate, do you?

--

Well one thing's for sure, you couldn't pay me enough money to perform such a crappy task.


Bada bing.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Following the arguments here, soldiers should apparently be paid what baseball players make. If working in a shitty sewer requires more money, certainly dodging bullets requires the most!

 

[dank69]

Following the arguments here, soldiers should apparently be paid what baseball players make. If working in a shitty sewer requires more money, certainly dodging bullets requires the most!

They are asking for cost of living wage increases. I am sure that soldier's wages have increased since 2001.

It's easier to get into the army than it is to get into the MLB. Your logic, it is lacking.

 

[Throckmorton]

This is really simple... $42k is an unfair wage for a sewer worker in NYC.